Big Donors Open Wallets For Martinez

April 10, 1985|By Harry Straight of The Sentinel Staff

TALLAHASSEE — Tampa Mayor Bob Martinez has raised almost half a million dollars in his bid for the 1986 Republican nomination for governor, according to campaign finance reports filed Tuesday in Tallahassee.

Reports filed this week also show that state Rep. Barry Kutun, D-Miami Beach, and state Sen. Joe Gersten, D-South Miami, have raised significant amounts for their planned races. Kutun plans to run for state treasurer- insurance commissioner; Gersten for state attorney general.

Martinez, a Democrat-turned Republican, formally announced his candidacy March 1, but he and his political adviser John ''Mac'' Stipanovich have been quietly planning the campaign for nearly two years.

Martinez is the only announced GOP candidate for governor. On the Democratic side, state Rep. Steve Pajcic of Jacksonville, who reported last week he has collected more than $700,000, is the only announced Democrat. However, Insurance Commissioner Bill Gunter is expected to announce his bid for the governor's race soon. The state Constitution prohibits Gov. Bob Graham from seeking a third term.

About 75 percent of Martinez's money came from Tampa addresses, but even those large contributions from out of state have Tampa connections. Most of the money comes from developers, attorneys and bankers who averaged about $1,500 per contribution.

The mayor also received $8,000 from two St. Petersburg men who helped mount a statewide campaign called Proposition 1, which would limit severely revenues for cities and counties.

Martinez fought against the proposal, which was eventually stricken from the the 1984 ballot by court action, but Proposition 1 supporters Y.Y. Phillips and Thomas Mahaffey Jr. told the mayor they liked his conservative views and are willing to support him in the governor's race.

Martinez also picked up $500 from Michael Sittig, the deputy director of the Florida League of Cities.

Stipanovich said if Martinez faces a hotly contested primary he may need as much as $2.5 million and could spend a total of $6 million on the entire campaign.

Kutun, a 12-year House member, has raised $255,450 and has banked $100,000 of it in certificates of deposit.

Although Kutun has made a point of taking no contributions from companies chartered by the Department of Insurance, his campaign finance report showed $52,750 in donations from insurance agents and executives of insurance companies. Much of the rest came from doctors and lawyers -- both professions affected by regulatory actions of the insurance commissioner -- and propane gas businesses, whose safety regulations are set by the commissioner as state fire marshal.

Kutun said he drew a distinction between corporate money from regulated companies and donations from executives of those companies. He said his promise not to take money from companies he sought to regulate did not include a ban on campaign contributions from insurance executives or agents.

Gersten reported raising $106,100 for his race. Gersten said he had made only one expenditure -- a $5,000 payment to Miami public relations agent Stuart Rose.

Both Gersten and Kutun got the overwhelming majority of their money from within Dade County, and both said their initial collections encouraged them to begin fund-raising activities in other metropolitan areas.

Both are the only announced candidates for the Cabinet seats they seek.